Guide for application of letters or the like to plates

ABSTRACT

A guide structure provides means to locate a plurality of individually formed letters on a sign plate, uniformly spaced relative to edges of the plate and from one another. One guide abutment positions a side edge of the plate and a second guide abutment spaced from the plate and parallel to the first guide locates one end of each letter. A sliding guide moves normal to the plate guide and cooperates with a scale to indicate lateral spacing of the letters.

United States Patent Leptrone Sept. 12, 1972 GUIDE FOR APPLICATION OFLETTERS OR THE LIKE TO PLATES Inventor: Samuel Leptrone, deceased, lateof 1737 Robinhood Lane, Clearwater,

Fla. 33516, Vivian M. Leptrone, administratrix Filed: Dec. 17, 1970Appl. No.: 99,114

US. Cl ..33/184.5, 33/1846, 33/174 R Int. Cl. ..B41b 1/00 Field ofSearch ..40/125 A; 33/1845, 184.6

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/1936 Betts ..33/l84.5

Primary Examiner-Leonard Forman Assistant Examiner-Paul G. FoldesAttorney-Watts, Hoffmann, Fisher-& Heinke [5 7] ABSTRACT 1 Claim, 3Drawing Figures u. fl l l S m||||||||m11m 4O 1 4 :51- h T I mum}; T, Z

I4 22 IB I6 15 35 PATENTEBSEPIZIHIZ 3,890,013

INVENTOR. SAMUEL LEPTRONE ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It hasbecome common practice to sell rectangular blank plates, similar toautomobile license plates, to which selected individually formed lettersand numbers, which may vary in dimensions, may be attached. Such plateswith attached letters may be used for name or initial plates and arefrequently affixed to. automobiles, buildings, offices, etc. The blankplates and letter and numeral units are sold separately and thepurchaser cements or otherwise attaches the letter or number units tothe plates as desired. The purchaser has a problem of accuratelyaligning and spacing the letters horizontally and vertically on theplate so as to provide a neat and attractive sign plate,

THE PRESENT INVENTION An object of the present invention is theprovision of guide means by which individually formed letters or numbersmay be conveniently located on a rectangular plate and the like inproper alignment and uniformly spaced for attachment to the plate.

In carrying out the invention, a backing surface, is provided by a panelfor supporting a rectangular plate to which individual letter forms areto be attached, plate abutment means on the panel are engaged by oneside edge of the plate, and an elongated letter guide member extendsover the plate and parallel to the plate abutment and is adapted to beengaged by letter forms resting on the plate so as to uniformly spacethe letters from the side edges of the plate, and means to shift therelative spacing of the plate abutment and the letter abutment laterallyso as to provide proper spacing of letters of different heights relativeto the side edges of the plate.

A further object of the invention is the provision of guide means of thecharacter just described including a guide member extending at rightangles to the guide abutted by the letters, and including means to shiftthe guide member along the letter guide, and scale means cooperatingwith the guide member to indicate a number of space units between theguide member and one end of the plate.

THE DESCRIPTION Further objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of a preferred form of theinvention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational plan view of a lettering guide and measuringdevice for applying letters to a name plate in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a spacer member.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of the invention is shownincorporated in a measuring and guide device for positioning letter ornumber units L on a name plate P. The device comprises a rectangularpanel 11 which may be located on a bench or table top convenient for aperson to manipulate the name plate P and letter units L on the panel.

A box-like structure 12 is located along the left-hand end of the panel11 and one side wall 13 thereof provides an abutment adapted to beengaged by the lefthand end edge of the plate Presting on the panel. The

box 12 can be used for storage of accessories for use in cementingletter units L to the plate P.

A plate abutment 14 is attached to the panel 11 and Y extends at a rightangle from the lower portion of the side 13 of the box 12. The abutment.14 extends beyond the right-hand end of the name plates contemplated tobe used in connection with the device 10. The plate abutment 14comprises a guide bar 15 attached tothe panel 11 and having a straightedge 16 which lies at to the side 13 of the box 12. The guide bar 15includes a ledge portion 17 which extends substantially over and beyondthe upper and lower side edges of the bar. The upper edge of the ledge17 includes a straight edge 18 which is parallel to the edge 16. Theledge 17, extending towards the upper edge of the panel 11, as viewed'in FIG. 1, forms one side of a slot 20, the bottom wall of which isformed by the edge 16 of the bar 15 proper. The lower ledge portion 17projects beyond the lower edge of the guide bar 15 proper andforrns theupper wall of a slot 21. The opposite side of the slot 21 is formed bythe panel 11 and the edge 22, of the bar 15, which extends parallel tothe edge 16.

A guide bar 23 attached to the face of the upper portion of the panel11, extends parallel to and is coextensive with the bar 15. The guidebar 23 is formed with an upwardly projecting ledge 24 which cooperateswith the panel 11 to form a slot 25. The bottom wall 26 of the slot 25is straight and extends parallel with the wall 22 of the slot 21. Arectangular recess 27 is formed longitudinally inside the guide bar 23and is open at the right-hand end, as viewed in FIG. 1.

The slots 21 and 25 slidingly receive inwardly projecting lugs 30,31formed on the bottom and top ends of a vertical guide member 32,respectively. The lugs 30,31 cooperate with the walls of the slots21,25, respectively, for guiding the member 32 along the guide bars 15and 23 and normal to the edges 16 and 18. The portion of the member 32intermediate the lugs 30,31 is supported above the plate P and theletters L on the plate. The opposite longitudinal edges of the member 32form sight guides for spacing letters on a plate positioned by the edge16. To assist in spacing letters by the guide member 32, a suitablescale 34 is provided along the top face of the ledge 17. Preferably, theright-hand ends of the slots 21 and 25 are closed by end members 35,36,respectively, to prevent removal of the guide member 32.

The plate P can be positioned on the panel 11 with its lower edgeextended into the slot 20, beneath the edge 18 of the ledge 17 andengaging edge 16. The individual letters L may then be placed on theplate with the bottom edges thereof resting on the edge 18. The spacebetween the edges 16 and 18 is selected so that when the plate P engagesthe edge 16, letters of a given height and resting on the edge 18 willbe spaced equally from the top and bottom edges of the plate. If lettersof a greater height are used, the spacing between the edge 18 and thelower edge of the plate P can be reduced by inserting a spacer bar 40into the slot 20 against the bottom wall 16 thereof. The upper edge 41of the spacer bar 40 then forms a guide abutment for positioning theplate P relative to the letter guide edge 18.

An additional spacing of the plate and the letter guide edge 18 can beeffected by a second spacer bar 42 which is similar to the bar 40 buthaving a different width. The bar 42 is used in the same manner asdescribed with reference to the bar 40.

When not in use to space the plate P from the guide edge 16, the spacerbars 40,42 can be stored in the recess 27.

In use, the plate P is positioned on the panel 11 with the lower edgeresting against the guide edge 16 of the slot 20, or against one or theother spacer bars 40,42 as the case may be. The appropriate letters Lare positioned on the plate P with the bottom edges resting on the edge18. By use of the guide bar 32, in conjunction with the scale 34, theuniform spacings of the letters from the ends of the plate and from oneanother are readily effected. The letters may then be cemented to theplate in the positions determined by the guide device.

I claim:

1. A guide structure for positioning letter units on a rectangular platecomprising, a panel providing a flat surface to support the plate; firstabutment means extending along said panel surface and adapted to beengaged by one end edge of the plate resting on the panel; secondabutment means on said surface of said panel comprising a bar attachedto said panel and having one side edge extending normal to said firstabutment means and forming an abutment for engagement by a side edge ofthe plate for locating the plate on said panel, a ledge integral withsaid bar and projecting beyond said one side edge of said bar andextending above said surface of said panels, the projected edge of saidledge being parallel to said one side edge of said bar, said ledge beingspaced from said panel surface at least the thickness of the plate, saidprojected edge of said ledge forming a guide engageable by letter unitspositioned on the plate; an elongated guide member positioned to extendtransversely of and over said panel surface and disposed normal to saidprojected edge of said ledge; and means to slidingly position saidelongated guide member for movement along said panel integral with saidguide member adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting into saidslots, respectively, and cooperating with the sides of the respectiveslots to guide the movement of said elongated guide member.

1. A guide structure for positioning letter units on a rectangular platecomprising, a panel providing a flat surface to support the plate; firstabutment means extending along said panel surface and adapted to beengaged by one end edge of the plate resting on the panel; secondabutment means on said surface of said panel comprising a bar attachedto said panel and having one side edge extending normal to said firstabutment means and forming an abutment for engagement by a side edge ofthe plate for locating the plate on said panel, a ledge integral withsaid bar and projecting beyond said one side edge of said bar andextending above said surface of said panels, the projected edge of saidledge being parallel to said one side edge of said bar, said ledge beingspaced from said panel surface at least the thickness of the plate, saidprojected edge of said ledge forming a guide engageable by letter unitspositioned on the plate; an elongated guide member positioned to extendtransversely of and over said panel surface and disposed normal to saidprojected edge of said ledge; and means to slidingly position saidelongated guide member for movement along said panel and said bar andabove the plate on said panel, the last mentioned means comprising meansforming two outwardly facing slots along two opposite sides of saidpanel and extending parallel to said bar, and two lugs integral withsaid guide member adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting intosaid slots, respectively, and cooperating with the sides of therespective slots to guide the movement of said elongated guide member.